Kerri Strug
For the United States to earn its first gold medal in women’s gymnastics team competition at the Olympics, Kerri Strug was the lynchpin. Her selflessness in putting the success of her team ahead of her own at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was emblematic of the perfect Olympian. Strug gave up a good opportunity to compete in the Individual All-Around event so that she and her partner may realise their shared ambition. An ankle injury sustained during her vault routine required “Magnificent Seven” coach Béla Károlyi to help her down from the podium. It was an exciting performance right up until the end, when she handled the intense pressure with poise. After retiring from athletics, she became a teacher, then a White House aide, and finally a presidential appointment at the Department of Justice.
Mr. Mike Eruzione
When the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was at its height, sporting tournaments were a great way for both countries to show the world what they were capable of. And out of all that, ice hockey hero Mike Eruzione emerged. While the Soviet team was widely considered unstoppable, he captained the United States squad at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Mike Eruzione stepped up his game and scored the game-winning goal for the United States in the famous “Miracle on Ice” game.